The Sum of a Soul
by RockerLover
Summary: Rin has lived eleven lives now. Sesshomaru has been by her side through them all yet has hesitated every time to take her as a mate. The weight of so many lives has changed Rin, perhaps too much. The burden of so many memories has jaded Sesshomaru. In present day, Sesshomaru decides it's finally time to act. But will this Rin have him? Has he waited too long to claim her?
1. Un

This is my first InuYasha based fanfic! As such, I feel that Sess can be a little OOC but I am endeavoring to fix that!

That being said, this is AU with Rin all grown up… mostly.

Enjoy!

* * *

"_No! Stop! Don't call me that again!" _

_She tried to yell at him but her throat was too raw; it came out as a harsh whisper._

"_But you are Rin," Sesshomaru began only to have her silence him yet again._

"_No! She, she is Rin. She was Rin. I am not. I can't be her! Why can't you see that? Why can't I be me?" She whimpered and stumbled back, her hand pressed against her corseted stomach._

_Immediately, he rushed to her side and guided her back into a chair._

"_I have caused you pain," he said matter-of-factly._

_When she didn't respond, when she didn't tell him he was wrong, he placed a hand on her head. She didn't stiffen under his touch, which gave him some small comfort, but it wasn't enough. _

_He let his knuckle graze her soft cheek, wet with tears. He would try again. He would let this Rin go and find her in another lifetime. Here, she would not have him._

_As he began to walk away the sound of his name gave him pause._

"_Mr. Tashio. Do you understand nothing?"_

_Under normal circumstances, he would have caused great pain to whoever questioned him in such a manner. But this was Rin. She was an exception to everything. _

"_I wish I could be her. I see how she has affected you. How she shaped your past, how even now, she is the force that shapes your future. Why wouldn't I want to be that, my love?" _

_He turned to look at her but she wouldn't meet his gaze. Her eyes were trained on her lap. He thought about calling out to her but the urge to say Rin was too great and that would only make matters worse. Instead, he walked back and stood in front of her._

_She made no move to acknowledge that he had approached but nevertheless began to speak again. "I want to affect you. I want to matter to you. But I will only mean something as her not as myself. I…. I want to mean something, as I am, not as who I might have been. Don't you see, Sesshomaru?" She looked up at him, her eyes searching his own._

_He knew that her lack of formality meant something. He knew that she was pleading with him to say that she was wrong._

"_Can you only love me for her? Am I not enough as I am?" Her voice quivered as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks._

_Sesshomaru found himself torn. It would be easy to console her, to let her believe that the past didn't matter but it would have been a lie. He was with her because he had gone searching for the soul she possessed; they would never have met otherwise. He could tell her this. He could explain to her that their entire relationship hinged upon her bearing Rin's soul, but it would probably make little difference. Sesshomaru had long since learned that humans were anything but rational._

_She looked down at her lap again, her head bent forward in what once would have seemed like submission to Sesshomaru. But she wasn't submitting to him, not in the way he wanted. No, she was accepting that she would never hear the answer she wanted._

_He would give her silence and let her interpret it as she so chose. If she took as a yes then he would stay with her for the remainder of her life, careful not to call her Rin but unwilling to apologize if he did. If she took it as a no, he would walk out the door and wait another forty or fifty years for her to be reborn again. _

_In the past it would have been hard to swallow but after losing her so many times, the wait wouldn't be impossible. _

_It was unfortunate that this reincarnation wanted nothing to do with her past self. He knew that on some deep level, she would always be the woman he had grown to love. Just as he knew that a part of her remembered him and always would. Even with this knowledge it was pointless to stay if she couldn't accept the simple fact that she was Rin. _

_The sound of her skirts rustling as she rose reminded Sesshomaru that his Rin was still here, she had not left him yet. _

"_Mr. Tashio. Sesshomaru. I wish I could understand. The things you speak of, the life you claim I have led. Pardon, the lives. But the plurality of this, it goes against everything I know, everything I've be taught. God does not grant us many lives, just the one."_

"_I am sorry." He could offer her no more, no less. It was a hard thing for the great Sesshomaru to say sorry. But he was not admitting defeat nor was he acknowledging that he was in the wrong in any way - neither were true. Instead, he was simply making it clear that he was sorry she was hurt by the truth and more so, sorry that she couldn't accept the facts._

_His words seemed to have caught her off guard as she stared at him with slightly widened eyes before regaining her composure._

"_As am I. This is good bye, isn't it?" The tremble in her voice caused something to snap inside Sesshomaru. Rin, in any life, in any form, would be the death of his sanity._

_He closed the distance between them and wrapped one hand around her waist – pressing her against him – while his other hand gripped her hair, tilting her head back._

_She gasped but did not struggle. Her lips parted and her tongue darted out to wet them. _

_Sesshomaru growled softly and kissed her. He kissed her as though it were the last time he would get to. In truth it was. At least it would be in this lifetime. _

_He kissed her until he knew her lungs were screaming for oxygen._

_He savored the feeling of her against him for a moment longer before breaking away completely and heading out the door. _

_This time he did not stop when she said his name and he said nothing in return. He disappeared into the darkness of Victorian London's streets and never saw this Rin (Rhiannon this time) again. _

Sesshomaru looked down at his watch. His sleek Movado Serio gleamed back at him. It's simple black watch face was broken up by 2 thin slivers of platinum designated as minutes and hours. The only other adornment, aside from the thin band of diamonds around the case was a single concave circle marking noon. It was a minimalist watch. It was graceful, elegant. It was Sesshomaru as a watch.

3:34P.M.

It had been 127 years, 5 months and 3 days since he had last seen Rhiannon-Rin.

It had also been 23 years, 7 months and 12 days since he had last spoken to any reincarnation of Rin, not that he was counting.

He was a daiyōkai and he would never stoop so low as to pine. No, he was just very aware of time, of the space in between events, to be exact.

He knew that it had been almost 24 years since she had died in his arms, to be reborn again.

The last time Sesshomaru had met her, she had been 17. It was 1954 and she was French, living in Paris.

It seemed that as the world grew and expanded and as globalization became the norm, Rin's soul was no longer tied to her ancestral lands. Over the past 500+ years, Sesshomaru had found her on every continent - minus Antarctica - but who knew what the future would bring.

Sesshomaru held back a sigh and continued to drink his coffee. He stared out the café window at one of the many buildings on the vast college campus he found himself haunting of late.

_It was snowing. Fitting for December. _

_For whatever reason, December 15__th__, 1954 was about to be the day he spoke to Rin again._

_He had been watching her for the past few days and she was his Rin for sure; her soul reached out to him with such intensity that it caught him by surprise the first time he had neared her. But now it was finally time to make his move, to reinsert himself into her life._

_He approached her; he had decided that he would bump into her and play it by ear from there. _

_As he drew close, she looked up and saw him. He tried to avoid making eye contact but it proved to be too difficult to do since she was staring right at him. _

_Figuring that now he would look like a fool for running into a woman who was looking so intently at him, he quickly changed his tactics and stopped a few paces from her._

"_Can I help you?" He asked. His French was prefect, if not a little clipped for the romantic language. _

"_Excuse me?" She replied, startled that he was speaking to her._

"_You were staring."_

"_Was I? I am terribly sorry, sir. You just look, well… it will sound silly now. I am sorry." She chewed on her lip for the briefest of moments. It didn't go unnoticedas Sesshomaru's inner demon growled._

_Deciding that it was probably a worthwhile line of questioning, Sesshomaru asked, "Who do I look like, madam?"_

"_Well, ah. A man. A man from my childhood dreams."_

_Sesshomaru took a step closer. That meant she was remembering her past lives through her dreams._

"_How so?"_

"_You're hair, like crisp, fresh snow. And your eyes. They are so golden. Like the sun and moon. In my dreams, you said…" This new Rin blushed and looked away. "I mean, he said that I was the warm sun to his cold, hard moon but I always said that he was whole all by himself. He never seemed to believe me."_

_Sesshomaru inwardly smiled. She was right; he wouldn't have ever agreed. Rin had been his better half since the day he had saved her soul. Though if he looked back now, it was she who saved him._

"_I see."_

"_You don't say very much, I can tell. He didn't either. He used to visit my dreams every night when I was a child but I remember. I did most of the talking. Sorry, I seem to be doing that now too." French Rin's cheeks were growing redder by the second and it wasn't just because of the cold weather._

"_You don't dream of him anymore? Not as an adult?" _

"_Well," she stammered, clearly not prepared for him to continue questioning her. "Yes. They are not the same, however."_

_The urge to ask if she remembered the more intimate details of their relationship was strong but Sesshomaru squashed it down. She was not prepared to discuss that with him, nor was he prepared to control the beast within him that craved Rin's touch._

"_Sir, can I ask your name?" She smiled at him with a dazzling warmth that made him all the more sure that she was his Rin, though she looked nothing like the Original-Rin._

_He stared into blue eyes that sat prettily on a heart shaped face, surrounded by blonde curls, and knew that under this different visage, in this foreign country, his beautiful lover was waiting. _

"_Tashio. Sesshomaru Tashio."_

"_Not from France then. I was wondering how I had never seen you around before. You are hard to miss Mr. Tashio."_

_He didn't respond so French-Rin spoke again._

"_I'm Renee and it is a pleasure to meet you. I hope this isn't presumptuous of me but would you like to get something to drink?"_

_He nodded his consent solemnly. He was elated but his stoic persona would not allow him to show it. _

_Rin's soul knew that he was always cold and aloof even when it didn't portray his inner thoughts and feelings. _

_Apparently, outward Renee-Rin knew it too. _

_That would be her identity to him from now until Rin died again, _Renee-Rin_._

_She smiled but hid it by looking away; he didn't miss it._

"_It's just around the corner. But you don't seem very cold."_

"_It doesn't affect me."_

"_Lucky you, ," Rin joked as she pulled her coat tighter around her._

_Sesshomaru instinctively reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She didn't shrug him off or move away. Instead she looked up at him with wonder and unmistakable happiness._

_She didn't speak as she began to walk, leading him to their destination._

_It felt so good to have her close again. _

Renee-Rin had been so even-tempered when Sesshomaru finally told her that he was the man from her dreams. He had explained that her dreams were actually memories of her past lives with him, three years after they had met when he felt she was ready to know. Sesshomaru had waited until she said he was the 'man of her dreams'. Though he knew it was a figure of speech, he also knew there was truth in it.

Sesshomaru growled as a man attempted to sit near him by the window. The young man quickly got the idea and scampered to the other side of the café, sitting on a plush couch and occasionally eyeballing Sesshomaru. The couch was the same color as the one he and Renee-Rin had owned.

They had been sitting on their couch in their tiny apartment in Paris. His arm was around her and she was pressed into his side. Their new television had just been installed and both were rather impressed with the technology; Sesshomaru significantly less so however since he constantly witnessed the advances of humanity.

Some rather uninspired commercial was on and Sesshomaru shifted so he could see her face. Renee-Rin looked up at him and smiled.

She asked him what was wrong and he had told her.

He told her everything.…

Sesshomaru tilted his head to the side.

His mind always seemed to leave the present day when he thought of Rin. Hundreds of years of memories had a way of sneaking up on a person. Sesshomaru may have been the Great Demon Lord of the West but even he wasn't impervious to time.

Over the many times that Rin had been reborn, each reincarnation of his beloved believed less and less of what she remembered. It seemed that as science developed, her ability to believe in anything beyond it was stunted.

With that in mind, he wasn't sure if Renee-Rin had ever really believed him. But regardless, she had loved him as deeply as she always had and even if she hadn't, she always smiled reassuringly and let him have his way.

The day he had told her, she kissed him and said she was glad to have spent so many lifetimes with him and they had gone back to watching the television like he hadn't just admitted to something utterly impossible.

He wouldn't have minded being back there again instead of sitting alone in this plebian place of gathering. The TV mounted on the café wall was turned down low but with Sesshomaru's keen hearing he heard the anchor man prattle on about this and that, the economy being "down the tubes" and the Presidential election coming in a few short weeks; Sesshomaru cared little about such things so long as they didn't effect his life, business-wise or personal.

He took another sip of coffee and continued to stare at the building across the street. It looked like every other old building, like every lecture hall on any campus in the Northeast of the United States.

Sesshomaru put his coffee down and closed his eyes.

He saw Rin (Renee-Rin) as she had been in 1993.

_Renee-Rin looked so fragile. He wouldn't touch her for fear of her crumbling beneath his hands. Humans were so easily broken. _

_She was sleeping now and looked so peaceful. Moments ago she had held his hand in her tiny ones and told him that she wasn't afraid to die. _

_Sesshomaru didn't fear death - he knew he would probably never die - but she was only human. Her death was inevitable. How could she not be afraid of her own mortality? She was only 56, which by human standards was solidly middle-aged. She shouldn't have been waiting at death's door._

_But how could he deny her? _

_She'd looked up at him with her big, bright eyes that always seemed to have a secret smile for him. She had smiled even though her body was rebelling against her. Even though cancer was working its way through her system and taking her away from him, she had smiled so happily at the sight of him every time he walked into her private hospital room._

_She had told him that she would find him again. _

_He didn't know if she believed in her own words but it was enough. It prevented him from waiting another few hundred years before trying to find her again. _

_Every once in a while, Sesshomaru let one of Rin's incarnations go on without knowing him because he didn't want to watch her die again._

_He would never confess it out loud but he wasn't so weak as to not admit his flaws to himself. He knew that seeing Rin die was never easy and simply put, sometimes he wasn't in the mood. _

_It wasn't as though he was 'in the mood' now either but Renee-Rin and he had been closer than most of Rin's previous reincarnations. _

_He brushed his fingertips along her forehead, painfully aware of her bald state. _

_He would stay with her until the end, because he loved her, because she was his Rin._

_The question, asking her if she would become his mate, was dancing on the tip of his tongue but he knew she would turn him down. She would say she wouldn't want to live on, knowing this pain, especially now that she had accepted her own transience._

_More so, she wouldn't truly have faith in him if he offered. She would think he was humoring her. Renee-Rin thought the truths he told her were just stories to make her smile, stories to make their love seem epic, that it had lasted ages. _

_In truth it had…._

If past experiences were anything to go off of, the Rin of 2016 would think he was a lunatic if he went up to her and point blank told her who he was. That was why he didn't plan to tell her anything. That was why he was going to force a clandestine encounter and slowly worm his way into her life. He was going to make her fall in love with him with or without Rin's prior memories.

He knew it would be slightly more difficult but not impossible. After all, nothing was impossible for him.

And of course, it helped that they were soul mates, always destined to be together through time and space. Not that he believed in fate; he was his own master. He simply didn't mind if such things as 'fate' occasionally sought fit to intervene and lead him to his lost love every once in a while.

It was getting harder and harder to find Rin with each rebirth. So many more places to look and sometimes she didn't even look like "Rin." Renee-Rin had been blonde and blue eyed, but he had recognized her soul in a heartbeat.

Her constantly shifting appearance wasn't the only problem. He had never officially mated with Rin and as such, had no actual mate-bond with her.

But even without being mated, it didn't change that he and Rin were connected. He was as much a part of her soul as she was of his.

Sesshomaru looked down at his watch. Rarely did he allow his thoughts to wonder so much. He was a firm believer in having complete and utter control over every aspect of his life. He would not allow himself to be distracted by meandering thoughts.

3:45.

Students began to spill out of the front doors and Sesshomaru watched them go. He scanned the crowd. His demon eyes were able to see every detail even from this distance.

He found her with ease as she made her way down the stairs.

Her hand went up to her face as she slipped of lock of hair behind her ear. Her tongue slipped past her lips, wetting them as she looked around - presumably for someone. She smiled and hurried over to her friend, hooking arms and began walking down the street.

Even in this body she still bounced as she walked.

_Some things never changed…_

* * *

I know this was short but don't worry, there is plenty more coming! I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what order things will happen in but fear not! It shall be updated! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!


	2. Deux

Alright! Now it's time to get to know our other main character.

(As a side note, thank you to the reviewer for posting blogspot FAQs on sessXrin and sessXkagura – feel free to check them out via the reviews page. Just to be clear, I am being sincere in my thanks. I found it to be an interesting read.

However, I will reiterate the point that I am aware Rin and Sesshomaru having a relationship is non-canon. This story, though it does go back to Feudal Japan later on, is primarily based in the near future. Through Rin's many lives her and Sesshomaru's relationship will grow into what it is today – for the sake of my plot development. So yea… hope that appeases y'all.)

Enjoy =]

* * *

"Rin! Are you even listening to me!?" Maya yelled, exasperated.

Rin's head snapped around to look at her friend with whom she was linked arm–and-arm.

"Sorry. Got lost in my head, I guess."

"Yeah nothing new," Maya sighed. "You've gotten another call from that agency. They seem to really want you to work there."

"Again? Jeez, I applied to that temp. place hoping to work as a cashier or bag groceries, not work at a corporate law firm."

"But it'll pay so much better! And you'll meet lawyers! Hot lawyers!" Maya practically squealed.

Rin rolled her eyes and let go of her friend in favor of batting her arm lightly. "Maya!" she reprimanded playfully, "You know I'm dating Ken. I'm a one man woman."

"Yea, yea but there's not harm in looking! Plus Ken-_taaaa_ is so… uptight." Maya said 'uptight' as though it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Rin bit back a laugh. "It's pronounced Kenta and it's a perfectly respectable Japanese name."

"To go with the perfectly respectable stick up his," Rin covered Maya's mount before Maya could finish.

"He really isn't that bad. Drop it okay?"

Now it was Maya's turn to roll her eyes. "Ok, ok. Yea. But, if a girl has to describe her boyfriend as 'really not that bad' you now there's a problem. Just promise me you'll at least go for the interview. We could use the money Rin. Apartment's not going to pay for itself."

Rin ignored the first part and waved a hand dismissively at the latter; she didn't really want to talk about work or Ken.

She'd go to the interview but she pretty much knew the outcome. There was no way in hell she'd get the temp job. It was a secretarial position and though she could type fast and knew how to answer a phone, all her other skills were lacking. No matter how many episodes of _Mad Men_ she watched, she'd never have that kind of lady-swagger.

If that wasn't enough of an issue, things with Ken weren't looking up. He was everything her parents wanted for her. Though born in America, she was raised with pretty traditional Japanese standards and Ken was - for all intents and purposes- a dream catch. He was a native born Japanese man from a respectable family on a fast track to working at a prestigious architecture company.

In that sense, things couldn't have been better. But in every other...

Maya was right; Ken was definitely a stick in the mud. He had little to no sense of humor and they shared none of the same interests. Already a college graduate, Rin still couldn't figure out how he had had any interest in her, when she had been a lowly sophomore. Now over a year later, they were still together and Rin had absolutely no idea why.

Maybe it was because neither of them was going to find anyone better, which was an utterly depressing thought. She wasn't even 21 and Rin was already settling in the love department.

Maya had started talking again but Rin wasn't listening. She loved Maya to bits, but half of what came out of her mouth was 'kinda' 'sorta', for lack of a better word, inane.

Rin looked around, not focusing on anything in particular when someone caught her eye.

A man exited the café she usually studied in and began walking in the same direction as her. He was across the street but even from the distance he was hard to miss. He was easily over six feet tall with a shock of brilliant white hair that fell way past his shoulders and was pulled back in a low ponytail. As if that wasn't enough to make him stand out, his suit looked like it was worth a million bucks, literally.

Perhaps best of all, if his profile was anything to go off of, with a chiseled jaw and a sharp straight nose, he was a total babe.

A bus passed between them before Rin could scrutinize Mr. Tall-Not-So-Dark-And-Utterly-Handsome any further. She craned her head to the side in an effort to see around but by the time the bus pulled away, he was gone. He probably went into a building or around a corner or wherever super wealthy businessmen went but Rin couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she hadn't gotten a better look at him.

It wasn't until she looked back in front of herself that she realized her best friend/roommate was staring at her.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Rin asked in return, feigning innocence.

"That! Him! Do you know Mr. Yummy?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Well, at least you are admitting to _staring_ at him! Not that I blame you. He puts Ken to shame!"

Rin would've defended Ken under normal circumstances but it was hard to when Maya couldn't have been more right. It wasn't every day that she saw super model quality men walking around.

Maya continued to talk about the mystery man like he was a sexiest hunk of meat on planet earth, which wasn't far from the truth. Rin only half listened as she lost herself in her own thoughts again.

By the time they reached their apartment, Maya seemed to be over him and went back to bashing this-and-that, as per usual.

Rin went over and looked at the message pad where Maya had taken down a number and a name. Rebecca at the US branch of Taisho Industries. There was a local number listed below.

"Maya," Rin called as she held up the paper. "I thought you said that the law firm called me back. This is for some other company."

"Oh yea," Maya shrugged and fell back on the couch dramatically. "Those people called too. Apparently you'd be the little helper for the secretary of one of the head honchos. Said she needs an extra pair of hands for a couple months."

"And the other one?"

"It isn't there too?" Maya said, though the hand covering her face muffled it.

"No," Rin said as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oh well. Sorry about that, "After a long pause she continued, "but the lady seemed pretty eager to have you. Plus beggars can't be choosers."

Rin stopped herself from calling her roommate a rather obscene string of words in favor of putting her purse down on the kitchen counter with a satisfying –thud-.

"Well, at least I wouldn't have to know how to do everything myself." Rin muttered to herself before pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the number.

It ran twice before a high feminine voice picked up.

"Tashio Industries. This is Mr. Tashio's personal assistant Rebecca speaking."

Rin stared at the paper, horrified. The Mr. Tashio! As in the owner?! The owner of this super high profile company?!

"Hello?" The voice on the other end brought Rin back to her senses.

"Ah yes. This is Rin Sato. I am calling you back regarding a temporary position at Tashio Industries."

"Oh Ms. Sato. I am so glad you called back. I'm hoping this is about scheduling an interview and not declining."

"No! I mean yes! Sorry," Rin pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned against the counter. "Just got out of an hour long seminar, my mind is a bit muddled. "

Rebecca laughed, it was high and musical and Rin could imagine the woman being a gorgeous secretary who probably worked for a fat middle-aged man that hit on her day in and day out.

"Would you be able to come in tomorrow for a quick interview?"

Once again Rebecca brought Rin back into the moment. Rin felt the need to smack herself. Why couldn't she focus!?

She quickly went through her schedule in her head and nodded at the woman on the other end who, obviously, could not see her.

"Yes. I am free after two."

"Excellent. Come by around three? Just head on up to the top floor, that's the fifty-sixth floor. "

"Alright. Thank you." Rin responded, slightly bewildered.

"Great. See you then!" Rebecca hung up and Rin slowly brought the phone away from her ear.

Maya looked over at Rin as she stuffed her phone into her back pocket and asked through a yawn, "Did it work out?"

"Sorry, I'm not sure I know what 'Diieee-doo-tok-ow' means."

Maya shot her an incredulous look and repeated herself sans yawn.

"Yea. I have an interview tomorrow."

"Awesome," Maya replied, turning back to the TV, "Plus I hear the owner is, like, one of those Top 50 single hotties or something. Better watch out little Rinny-pooh. You might get involved in an office romance."

"Doubtful," Rin said with a snort as she crossed the living room into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

With a frustrated huff, Rin sat down on her bed and pushed her jeans off her hips and down her legs. She lay back in only her bra and panties and stared up at the ceiling.

She would have been lying to herself if she said she hadn't given this guy a second thought; she couldn't stop thinking about him. Perhaps that was because she had wanted to wrap her legs around him and…

Rin covered her eyes with her left hand and whined.

If only Ken wasn't such a stickler for rules. They had yet to get past making out with the occasional grope - usually on her part. Honestly, he was more of a blushing schoolgirl than she was.

He had his whole wait-until-marriage thing but Rin couldn't wait to have some guy rip of her clothing and ... Rin sighed. When, or rather if, she ever had sex with Ken, it would never be anywhere near as primal as all that.

But that man….

Rin rolled over onto her side and slide her hands under her cheek. She didn't know a thing about this guy but she had already decided what he was like it bed…. Jeez…. She needed to pull herself together.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat behind his desk and only half listened to his assistant as she rattled off lists of names and meeting times. He knew she would remind him before each one; it was only a formality that she went over his entire schedule every morning.

It wasn't until she mentioned a new temporary employee, by the name of Rin that he tuned in.

"Excuse me?"

Rebecca, not used to Mr. Tashio acknowledging her during these routine agenda meetings, stopped mind-sentence and cleared her throat.

"I mentioned that with the new merger I would need to hire a secondary assistant for you in order to handle the amount of paperwork. You graciously agreed."

"Ah"

"If you'd like to interview her yourself, I'm sure there would be no problem. She seems like a promising young woman."

"That won't be necessary."

"Well, I have the girl coming in today. In the afternoon. Her name is Rin Sato. She will be here after you get back from your meeting."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed fractionally. "I see. And where did you find Ms. Sato?"

"She uhh," Rebecca stammered before regaining her composure, "I was given her name by a temp agency. As I said, she seemed competent over the phone."

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and dipped his head in the barest of nods. It was both agreement and dismissal.

Rebecca nodded back and quickly turned on her heel, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Sesshomaru watched the door closed and debating the best course of action. If he were a lesser demon of human, he would have showed his frustration by way of pinching the bridge of his nose or groaning, but he was Sesshomaru. He was a demon Lord.

Then again, no one was looking….

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru breathed in deeply. Was this 'fate' again, playing him the fool? He had had a plan and now she was coming here. Still, he could work this to his advantage. If she came to work at his company for the next couple months, it would be easy to become a part of her life, to get to know her.

He could keep her late at night and after everyone else left…

Sesshomaru loosened his grip on his desk. He hadn't realized he had been holding it until he heard the oak tabletop crack beneath his fingers.

Though he was loath to admit, it had been a while since he - as his human subordinates so quaintly liked to put it- had 'gotten any'.

Not that he needed to fornicate. He was perfectly capable of being celibate for any length of time. Before he had met the Original Rin, he had not copulated in probably a century.

It was humans, not demons, who had such a hard time controlling their sexual urges.

Then again, such distinctions as human and demon served little-to-no purpose anymore.

In a time where demons were only a thing of myth and legend, Sesshomaru played the part of his own great great, great…. and so on grandchild.

A –ping- from his computer reminded Sesshomaru of his lunch meeting with Mr. Grayson, the go-between for his acquisition of Edgewood Steel Inc.

He briefly considered canceling in favor of brooding but quickly dismissed the idea.

Rebecca's voice came over the intercom soon after with it's usual tinny sound.

"Your car is outside Mr. Tashio."

Sesshomaru pressed the little red button with the intention of thanking Ms. Collins but then thought better of it. He rather disliked his employees getting 'comfortable' with him. Even after all this time, he still never considered himself to be equal to everyone around him. He was better than every demon and human; that wasn't going to change with any length of time.

But, truth be told, Ms. Collins was his most reliable human assistant yet, at least for an American. He still had his reservations about the United States; most everyone on this side of the world seemed unrefined.

Rising, Sesshomaru buttoned his suit jacket and smoothed it out as if there were creases, a habit he had picked from spending so much time around humans who constantly fretted over their appearance. He also was acutely aware that humans tended to flit around to the point of irritation.

He crossed his vast office in with a cat-like grace and opened the door. Ms. Collins was immediately on her feet with his overcoat in hand.

"I won't be needing that, Ms. Collins," Sesshomaru informed her; he only referred to employees and clients by last name. He had no interest in anyone thinking it was okay to broach any sort of personal subject with him.

"Yes, Mr. Tashio. Also, your brother wanted me to inform you that he plans to stop by in the near future."

Sesshomaru stopped before reaching the elevator and turned back to his assistant who was still looking at him.

"If he calls again please inform that he may stop by if he so chooses but if he tries my patience he will not be granted access to any establishment I currently own. If he isn't careful I will soon own the building he resides in which, by that same sentiment, will cause him to become homeless."

He didn't wait for a response. That was the longest statement he had ever made to any employee and Ms. Collins was not only reeling from his verboseness but from of his outright hostility towards his brother, a person Ms. Collins had never had the _pleasure_ of actually meeting.

Outside, his driver/agitating-as-all-fuck servant, Jaken was waiting for him.

Long ago, Jaken had sought out a magical remedy for his short, pudgy, green and all together unattractiveness. Though he was still not what any woman would dream of, he was now of average height and physique, minus of course, his slightly green pallor.

Sesshomaru knew it irked Jaken to forever look like and be surrounded by the creatures that he despised but it wasn't as if Sesshomaru actually cared about Jaken's feelings.

The weaselly little toad did little for Sesshomaru save being his last loyal follower. Very few knew who he was anymore. Very few were alive to know; demons were practically extinct.

"Hello, Great Lord!" Jaken said with a deep bow.

Sesshomaru reigned in his annoyance. Jaken was anything but subtle and his voice was as grating as ever.

Jaken must have sensed this because he immediately opened the door for Sesshomaru and silently waited as Sesshomaru climbed inside.

Jaken slid into the driver's seat of the limo and adjusted his rear view mirror.

Their eyes briefly met and Sesshomaru gave him a glare that would freeze a rupturing volcano.

Jaken visibly gulped and kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead rather than on any reflective surface where he might accidently see his Master.

* * *

Rin stood in front of her mirror in the fifth possible outfit for the interview.

She turned around, her eyes trained on her waist high skirt until the last possible moment. With a frustrated sigh Rin unzipped the skirt and threw in onto the pile of clothing that was slowly advancing off her bed and onto the floor.

She pulled on a pair of dark grey slacks and put her hands on her hips. Pants were probably a better option.

Shucking off the shell top, Rin buttoned herself into a pale blue shirt and after a moments thought, left the top two unbuttoned; it allowed the tiniest bit of cleavage to peak through.

She went into the living room where Maya whistled at her from the kitchen.

"Looking good there Sato! Knock their socks off!"

"I'll settle for a lot less than that. Perhaps a pleasant surprise, but thanks. It's not too much right?" Rin asked as she spun around by the front door.

"Not at all! Tell me all about it when you get back. Lord knows I'll need a break from Chem. studying. I swear Professor Amzi is a sadist!"

"Sure." Rin replied but she was more focused on stuffing her keys, wallet and whatever else she needed into her purse. With only one arm in her coat, Rin waved a good bye and shuffled out of the door.

The train ride to Tashio Industries was quicker than Rin had anticipated so she arrived almost 20 minutes early.

As she came out of the subway, amidst all the usual semi-skyscrapers one building stood out. There was something modern yet classic about it. The combination of both steel and glass with older stonework, created a beautiful dichotomy that Rin couldn't quite describe. She wondered why Ken had never taken her to see this building; he liked to take her around the city on architecture walking tours.

To say the building was impressive from the outside would have been an understatement. Thus, when saying the lobby was 50 times more impressive it meant otherworldly.

The security guard in the lobby directed her over to a wall of elevators.

"May I ask where you are heading ma'am"?

"I have an appointment with 's personal assistant. Rebecca Collins?"

"No need to sound so unsure ma'am. Ms. Collins said you'd be arriving shortly." The guard smiled warmly at Rin and relieved a tiny bit of her nervousness. Alas not enough of it to stop her from jumping when the elevator dinged and the doors opened like a gaping maw into what looked like a room.

The security guard must have noticed Rin's astonishment.

He chuckled softly and said, "It's like a floating room isn't it. A gilded cage."

The reference wasn't lost on Rin but at that moment words were. She nodded and stepped inside the elevator, which rivaled the size of her bedroom. The guard reached around and pressed 56.

He smiled at her once more and tipped his hat as the doors closed and Rin was left alone.

Rin supposed she shouldn't have been surprised when the elevator rocketed up at breakneck speed, but nevertheless she almost toppled over when it came to a sudden stop at some unknown floor.

As if holding onto the railing like her life depended on it wasn't embarrassing enough, the one person Rin hadn't been able to stop thinking about but assumed she would never see again, walked into the elevator and turned around without so much as a backwards glace in her direction.

Rin immediately straightened up and looked straight ahead… at the back of her mystery man. She hadn't realized just how tall he was from across the street. He had to be at least 6'6" maybe closer to 7'.

Rin couldn't help but audibly swallow.

The elevator doors finally closed and they shot up again. Prepared this time, Rin held on tightly while the stranger stood there like nothing special was happening. The elevator stopped again on another floor; the wall just outside said 52nd, and the man got off still without acknowledging her.

As the doors closed, Rin couldn't help but feel disappointed; her throat tightened with the thought that she had wasted a once in a lifetime chance to actually speak to him.

When the door opened – finally on the 56th floor- Rin stepped out into a large waiting room that was absolutely beautiful; there were floor to ceiling windows that provided a great view of the city.

Off to the left, there was a conference room with glass walls and a large oval table. To the right was another set of glass wall where a lovely woman sat at a large desk surrounded by stacks of paper. Her office was pretty large. Behind her was another door that led into…. Rin could only assume Mr. Tashio's office.

Rin sat down in one of the plush lunge chairs and waited, her purse in her lap.

The woman in the office looked up and smiled at her, beckoning Rin with a hand.

"You must be Rin. I'm Rebecca." She said when Rin opened up the glass door and stepped inside.

"Hi. Pleased to meet you." Rin smiled as she extended a hand.

Rebecca shook it without standing and gestured towards a chair, "Likewise. Take a seat."

Rin gingerly sat down and quickly looked around. "It is a lovely place."

"Yes, Mr. Tashio has particular tastes. About the job. It's a three-month temporary position that would start next Monday if all goes well. By the time you get back, you'll have a desk over there," Rebecca pointed to the other side of her very large office where there were a few file cabinets.

"You will be my assistant for the entirely of the merger and all of this aftershocks. But who knows. If things go well we might be able to find you a part-time job here." Rebecca smiled warmly and Rin could tell already that they would get along well, provided she got the job of course.

"That sounds wonderful." Rin said, her fingers drumming on her thigh.

As if sensing Rin's slight unease Rebecca turned to face Rin fully and revealed her very pregnant belly.

"This," Rebecca said gesturing down, "is the main reason I need to help. I am not as fast as I need to be to keep up with Mr. Tashio.."

Rin stared wide-eyed for a moment before recovering. "Shouldn't you be on bed rest? When are you due?"

"Next month. And normally yes but with Mr. Tashio…. Well he needs me to keep his life in order. And as I said, I need someone to step in for me. You'll be replacing me when I go on maturity leave for two months. Longer if it works out."

"I will… wait, did I just…" Rin was having trouble articulating herself. She hadn't expected it to be so easy.

"Well from what I can see you seem perfect for it. Can you type?"

"Yes."

"If I show you the filing system can you memorize it?"

"I think so."

"Can you answer a phone and redirect calls?"

"Mhm."

"Can you deal with a grumpy old man?"

"Uhh.."

"Kidding! Well, not really. Mr. Tashio isn't the warmest of people. But he will grow on you."

Rin nodded dumbly in response. This was happening a little too fast for Rin to be comfortable with.

"Speaking of the devil!" Rebecca joked as she pushed herself up to her feet and waddled out into the lobby with Rin in tow.

"Mr. Tashio. Welcome back. I take it everything went well at the lunch meeting. Also, I got a call from HR. They have requested, again, that you not fire employees by throwing them out, literally. It's grounds for a law suit. " Rebecca stated as she took the man-in-question's coat.

Rebecca looked over at Rin, expecting her to say something as well but found her new assistant staring at Mr. Tashio slack jawed.

For a moment, Rebecca wondered if she should've told Rin that Mr. Tashio tended to have _that_ effect on people.

Meanwhile, Rin couldn't believe her eyes.

It was him!

The guy from the café! The guy from the elevator! And God, now that she could she his face instead of his amazingly sculpted back, there was no denying his appeal. He seemed to have all the… attributes any woman could want in a man.

To say Rin was floored would have been the underestimate of the century. She had never dreamed of seeing him again – for a third time - but here he was, looking right at her! Her boss! Her….

"So sorry. I'm Rin Sato." Rin blurted out and then added as an afterthought. "Your new assistant. Well, your assistant's assistant."

"Rin, honey" Rebecca said as she put a hand on Rin's shoulder, "We should let Mr. Tashio get back to work. I'll show you around."

Rin silently thanked Rebecca from saving her from making even more of a fool of herself and followed her stiffly past the unbelievably tall man.

She could feel his eyes on the back of her head but she refused to turn around; it was too terrifying a concept. The hairs on her neck stood at full attention as she held her purse in an iron grip.

Maybe she was making a terrible mistake.

The elevator doors opened and Rin scurried inside only to turn around and see him standing there, still watching.

As the doors slid closed, Mr. Tashio held her gaze and Rin found it impossible to look away. She had been invisible before in the elevator but now he was staring at her with such intensity that it was like he was seeing into her soul.

It wasn't until they began their swift decent that Rin realized she had been holding her breath.


End file.
